Specific Competences Tests Audio Scripts

Unit 1
Track 1
Ji-Hoon It’s the Two Teens Talking podcast. Stella, you recently read the book Stolen Focus, by Johann
Hari, didn’t you?
Stella Yes, Ji-Hoon. So interesting! I find it difficult to focus on my schoolwork sometimes. But Johann
says that if you find it difficult to focus, you aren’t alone! Johann spent three years speaking to
experts all over the world to find out why we find it difficult to focus. He says it’s not because we
are lazy.
Ji-Hoon Why is it then?
Stella It’s because of the internet and modern technology. There’s too much information. Companies
design social media and other apps so that you keep using them for as long as possible, for
example, share buttons and like buttons.
Ji-Hoon So, what can we do about this?
Stella Johann says we should stay away from social media as much as possible. For six months of the
year, he doesn’t use any social media. We should also try to live healthily, for example, get
enough sleep and eat healthy food. And he says it’s a good idea to have a kSafe – it’s a box with a
time lock on it. You can keep your phone in it for a period of time, for example, an hour.
Ji-Hoon Wow! What else does he say we should do?

Unit 2
Track 2
Presenter Today we’re talking to Ayana Anang. She’s taking some people on a culture trip to Africa this
month. Ayana, which countries are you visiting?
Ayana Thank you for having me. We’re going to Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal.
Presenter Fabulous! Can you tell us about some of the highlights of the trip?
Ayana Well, starting in Morocco, we’re going to visit the oldest university in the world in Fez. A woman
called Fatima al-Fihri created it in 859.
Presenter A woman started it?
Ayana Yes, but until the 1940s, only men were allowed to study there.
Presenter Wow! What else are you going to do in Morocco?
Ayana Well, before we leave Fez, we’re going to the Dar Batha Museum. It was once a palace, but it
became a museum in 1915. There are many works of art in the museum as well as musical
instruments and other interesting things. Next, we’re going to visit the beautiful Bahia Palace in
Marrakesh. In Marrakesh, we’ll also eat some fantastic food, and visit a lot of markets. I’m certain
we’ll see some beautiful Moroccan bowls and plates – they make great gifts for your friends and
family.
Presenter Wonderful. And what are you going to do in Tunisia?

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Unit 3
Track 3
Presenter Today I’m chatting to Vuyo. He’s doing an interesting project: A Year of Kindness. He does
something every day to be kind to a stranger. Welcome, Vuyo!
Vuyo Thank you!
Presenter So, what made you decide to do this?
Vuyo I got the idea from an online video. I was just so tired of all the bad news in the world, you know,
about climate change and poverty. I wish I could change the big things. But what I can do is
change the world, just a tiny bit, with kindness.
Presenter So, what are some of the kind things you’ve done? And how did you decide what to do?
Vuyo I started off by asking for ideas on social media. Someone said: ‘Start with your own street’, and
so I did! In the first week, I picked up litter, made a paper aeroplane for a child, made soup for
someone and helped someone paint their garage. But sometimes my act of kindness is just a
smile.
Presenter And how do you feel about it?
Vuyo Great! Firstly, did you know that kindness is actually good for your brain – it makes you happy!
And, secondly, when you’re kind to people, they’re often kind to you, too!
Presenter Wow, that’s pretty awesome! Did you have any … ?

Unit 4
Track 4
Jenny Hi Tom. Hi Debs. I’ve got the popcorn. What are we watching?
Tom We’re just looking now, Jenny. Look, you can search different genres. Comedy, fantasy, horror,
science fiction. What do you feel like?
Debs Not science fiction. We watched one last time, what was it called?
Jenny Dune. I really liked that. It was fascinating.
Debs It wasn’t! The plot was too complicated. Something else.
Tom A comedy? What about this one? Soul. A New York jazz pianist finds himself stuck in a strange
land between Earth and the afterlife. Oh …
Debs Hmm, I’m not sure. And it sounds like science fiction, not comedy. Are you looking at the right
category?
Tom Yes. It doesn’t sound very funny though.
Jenny Do you both like war films? I watched a great one with my brother – 1917. It’s about two young
soldiers who have to take a message into enemy territory. It was brilliant. And it got lots of
Academy Award nominations.
Debs Sounds good.
Tom I’ve seen it, but I don’t want to watch it again. Sorry.
Jenny We’re not doing very well with this, are we?
Debs Just a suggestion, but we could watch Toy Story 4 …
Tom Again?
Jenny We’ve seen it three times.

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Debs It is hilarious though …
Tom Toy Story 4 it is! Pass me the popcorn.

Unit 5
Track 5
Hey there. Welcome to Teens Today, my podcast to help you find the best way through life as a teenager.
Today, I’m going to talk about apps. Apps are fun, but with the right apps, you can also improve your life! Here
are three apps that, in my opinion, will help you to do just that.
We’re teens. Waking up can be difficult, right? Welcome to Alarmy. It’s an alarm app that wakes you and then
makes you do something, for example take a photo of your front door or solve a maths problem, before it
stops! Annoying? Yes. But you’ll never be late for school again!
How often do you search through social media for ages and learn … nothing? Search for Brainfood, an
educational app. It gives you ‘knowledge nuggets’ – 30 seconds of facts that I think are genuinely interesting.
And you’ll have something to tell your parents when they ask you what you’ve learned today.
Finally, Rootd. Research shows that mindfulness and meditation apps have become really popular recently,
which I believe is a good thing. Rootd helps you when you feel worried. It’s got all kinds of tips including some
wonderful, relaxing breathing exercises. I use it when I’m stressed. Check it out!

Unit 6
Track 6
Presenter We all wonder what’s going to happen when we finish university. It can feel a bit scary, right?
Well, today we’re talking to some of last year’s graduates about how their life plans are going.
Firstly, Thomas. Could you tell us about your year?
Thomas Hi, yeah. So I graduated from uni last summer and got a job with an engineering company in
Glasgow. I was really up for it, but when I got there, I realized it wasn’t for me. I had a serious
conversation with my parents and decided to change careers – I moved back home with them and
now I’m training to be a teacher. I’m so much happier!
Presenter Wow, that’s amazing! Thanks for sharing. Next, Anna.
Anna Hi. Well, I stayed on at uni to do a one-year postgraduate course, but mainly because I wanted to
play netball. I played all through my degree course, and last summer, our team reached the semi-
finals in a competition of 100 teams from all over Europe. We didn’t win, but I got a call from the
England coach and I’m making my international debut in two weeks’ time!
Presenter Anna! That’s incredible. Congratulations! Two amazing stories of how plans can change ... for the
better. Next, we have …

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Unit 7
Track 7
Moonage Daydream is the most recent film about the musical genius David Bowie. Personally, I think it’s the
best. For his fans, Bowie was not only an amazing songwriter and vocalist, but he changed the world. The film
uses archive material, interviews, films of Bowie’s concerts and his own home videos, to present a complete
picture of how unique he was. The film argues that the 1970s was Bowie’s greatest period. We see videos of
young fans, all wearing experimental make-up and dressed like him. He made it possible to be an individual, to
wear what you wanted, to be yourself.
On the one hand, I thought the film covered all the important stages of his professional life, and showed what
a creative genius he was. On the other hand, there wasn’t very much information about his personal life, but I
suppose there are many other films and documentaries you can watch, if that’s what interests you. Having
said that, the one thing I thought was missing was that great interview from the early 1990s when Bowie tried
to convince the interviewer that this new internet invention was going to change the world. How right he was!

Unit 8
Track 8
The most recent set of exam results published in the UK show that girls are generally performing better than
boys in science, technology, engineering and maths or ‘STEM’ subjects for the first time. Today on the
programme, we look at one possible factor contributing to this, known as ‘The Scully Effect’.
The X-Files was a very popular 1990s American science fiction TV show. It was about two detectives, Fox
Mulder and Dana Scully, who worked in a division of the FBI where they investigated mysterious cases. Mulder
was an experienced FBI agent who believed in aliens; Scully was a medical doctor who looked for evidence and
logical explanations. It was a fascinating reversal of gender stereotypes at the time, with Mulder, the man, as
the believer and Scully, the woman, as the scientist.
In 2018, a survey found evidence that the show had an effect on women who had watched it regularly. Almost
50% of them had studied STEM subjects at university or had a career in STEM. And more than half said they
would encourage their daughter to enter a STEM field. The survey proved a belief by fans of the show that
‘The Scully Effect’ was real. It’s something that Gillian Anderson – the actor who played Scully – is extremely
proud of.

End-of-term Test 1
Track 9
Speaker A Wow, that was thrilling! I can’t believe I did it. What an amazing feeling! When you look down
from the top, it’s really scary. 1,555 metres of wire over a lake and speeds of up to 160 kilometres
per hour. But when you start, you forget all that and just fly. Apparently, Velocity 2 is the longest
and fastest one in Europe. When can I go again?
Speaker B That was so tiring. I just couldn’t stand up. The instructor told me to keep my arms straight and
my knees bent and let the boat pull me along. But every time the boat started, I wanted to pull
myself forward, so I lost control and fell back into the sea. I need to find a water sport that’s less
challenging. Maybe I should try paddleboarding …
Speaker C I usually like outdoor sports, but I’m not playing that again. It’s too dangerous! There were two
teams of 11 players running around with a stick trying to hit a small white ball. Most of the time
they hit me instead. I think I’ll go back to football and mountain biking.

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End-of-term Test 2
Track 10
Head teacher Today’s speaker at our school careers fair is Amelie Painter, one of our past students. She’s
come to talk to you about her experience as a professional football referee. Amelie, welcome.
Amelie Thank you, Mr Milner. It’s nice to be back here.
Head teacher Did you always know you wanted to be a referee?
Amelie No! I knew I loved sport. I did a sports science degree and, as my main job, I’m a PE teacher.
Refereeing is still not a full-time career for me, although I hope it will be one day.
Head teacher So what made you start refereeing?
Amelie At university, I joined a women’s football team. These days, this is something pretty normal
which, in my view, is a very good thing. But back then, football was mainly a sport for men.
Even in the women’s competitions, the referees were nearly always men. It used to make me
angry, so I decided to do something about it.
Head teacher Yes, you’re right. In fact, research shows that in the last five years, the number of female
referees has increased significantly.
Amelie That’s right. And I’m confident that it will continue to increase. The Football Association have
recognized that the number of women officials needs to increase now women’s football is so
much more popular.
Head teacher Have you ever refereed a men’s match? ...

End-of-term Test 3
Track 11
There are many mysteries about ships, but one of the most difficult to explain is the story of the Mary Celeste.
On 7 November 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York to Italy. The captain, Benjamin Briggs, was
travelling with his wife and daughter, and there were seven other crew members. The ship had a cargo of
alcohol.
A month or so later, on 5 December, the ship was found, still at sea, but completely deserted. The sails were
damaged, but the ship was still in good condition. The lifeboat and the ship’s papers and navigational
instruments were missing. There was no evidence of violence. It looked like the captain and crew had
abandoned ship.
People speculated that maybe pirates had attacked the ship, but all of the crew’s personal possessions were
still on board and everything was in order. It is possible that the alcohol caused an explosion, but there was no
sign of a fire on the ship. Some people think the only explanation is an attack by a sea monster or an alien
abduction! Whatever happened, the people on board were never found and the mystery is still unsolved 150
years later.

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End-of-year Test
Track 12
Dad Listen, Jon, Ella. We’ve never been to Bath before. If we do this treasure hunt, we’ll learn a lot
about the city.
Jon Yeah … right, Dad.
Mum We get clues on Dad’s phone, and they tell us where to go next. It’ll be fun!
Ella If you say so, Mum.
Dad Here we are. Clue number one. And a map! Great!
Jon Great … Why don’t we just follow the map then?
Mum Because we’re doing a treasure hunt! Anyone can follow a map. What does it say?
Dad ‘Ahoy there! I’m Captain Bess. Come aboard.’
Ella What? That’s not a clue.
Dad What shall I do?
Mum Put ‘yes’?
Dad Oh …
Ella Now what?
Dad ‘You’ll need help. Have you got a crew?’
Jon It’s pretending we’re pirates. This is silly.
Mum No, come on. Just put ‘yes’ again.
Dad ‘Jump aboard and let’s get to the first clue.’
Ella Just give us the first clue! It’s been five minutes.
Mum OK, OK. Yes, it is a bit annoying. Just put ‘yes’ again.
Dad Oh, here we are.
‘Look to the skies
And what do you see?
Three little angels
Behind a tall tree.’
Well … I wonder what that means?
Ella Did anyone know this was a pirate poetry quiz?
Mum No! It’s meant to be a treasure hunt.
Dad It’s not exactly a question, is it?
Jon I have a question. Why don’t we just use the map?

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